There are numerous devices available for transporting bicycles on vehicles such as automobiles. Some of these devices are designed to carry bicycles on the roof of the vehicles. One such device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,893 to Yakima. These racks are difficult to install and generally not adaptable to a wide range of vehicles in addition, such "roof racks" are cumbersome and cannot be transported on the bicycle when not in use. Thus, these bicycle carriers do not provide the security of having a means of transporting a bicycle on an automobile in case of a bicycle breakdown.
Other designs, such as the design described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,700 to Blackburn, are trunk mounted and rigid. These devices have rigid arms that extend rearward to support the bicycle perpendicular to the automobile. This design provides numerous opportunities for damaging both the car and the bicycle and tend to obstruct the taillights and license plate of the vehicle. Although these designs tend to be lightweight and foldable, they remain unpractical for the purpose of being carried on the bicycle or with the bicycle rider when the carrying device is not being used.
Still other devices, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,118,018 to Baldeck and U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,449 to Collins, have tried to provide for lightweight transportable carriers. These devices all use a number of straps or cables that suspend the bicycle parallel to the bumper of an automobile. Each of these designs are complicated to install correctly and when installed improperly can damage the automobile and the bicycle. When installed correctly these devices often obstruct the posterior of the automobile causing a potential traffic hazard. In addition, these designs tend to provide for only one bicycle to be carried on the vehicle at any one time. Although lightweight and compact these devices also do not provide for any stowage capability for the bicycle rider.